“It’s not like that with Sonny!” I cry, begging her to stop and listen, but I know she won’t. She’s made her judgments, and they won’t change.
Sonny bites his lip for a second, having a stare-off with my mom before he stands. “I guess I should go.” Stopping in front of me, he crouches down to be eye level with me, his head resting on mine. “You’re safe, and that’s all that matters. Remember that. Promise me, Tink.”
“I promise,” I lie. That is not all that matters.
His presses his lips to my forehead, lingering a little longer than usual before he stands and walks to the door. I jump when I hear it close. Suddenly I feel cold without him.
Looking up at my mom, I tell her, “He didn’t do anything wrong.”
Pushing past her, I run up to my bathroom and get into the shower, drowning my cries and tears away. This will be the last time I pity myself. I’m stronger than this.
When I exit the bathroom, my mom is there waiting for me.
I thought last night was bad, but the next three days were worse.
Kicking and screaming, my parents forced me to the hospital. I was poked, prodded, tested, touched in every way. Photographs were taken. Statements written. Accusations and judgements made.
And the worst part of the nightmare?
Sonny was arrested.
Two days after I’d gone to the hospital.
He was charged with aggravated assault on Ricco.
Then, it came out that he was in possession of illegal substances.
He was going to prison.
He was leaving me.
My parents wanted to charge him with statutory rape since I had showered, twice, after being raped and there wasn’t any part of Ricco still on me. They—my mom mostly—wouldn’t believe me about Sonny. But I guess it’s not that surprising since she never liked him to begin with.
He was the good guy in the story, but they wouldn’t listen. They heard the bad and were deaf to anything else.
I promised them I’d run away if they tried to pin my attack on him. Promised I’d hate them forever. Promised I’d make everyone miserable.
Turns out I lied.
I did anyway.
8
Sonny
My life imploded.
When I chose to ignore my new job at the club after leaving Ruby at her parents’ house, my father made sure the charges would stick after I was arrested, adding possession of illegal substances.
I made my bed with the Irish devil without even knowing it the moment I came into the world. I was the prince to the mafia king, and it was time to pay my penance. It was time for him to teach me a lesson on loyalty to the family.
I shouldn’t have been surprised really. But I was. Stupid me for thinking I could have a fleck of anything good. Anything that was just mine. Anything of pure, unadulterated happiness.
Before, I hated the man I shared blood with, and now I despised him. I wanted nothing to do with him or the business, but it wasn’t an option to walk away. When you were born a Knight, you didn’t get choices. You only did as you were told. I was learning that firsthand now.
I made Desmond promise me on his life and that of his mom and sister that he’d protect Ruby while I was locked up. I didn’t expect her to wait for me, but I also didn’t trust her with anyone but Dez as long as Ricco was still above ground either.
I was sentenced to serve five years behind bars, with the possibility of parole after three served with good behavior.
Entering prison, I knew I’d be the shiny new toy they’d all want to play with. My ass was kicked more than once, landing me in the infirmary. However, soon word of who I was ran through the bars that kept us all caged.
I was no longer the one the thugs wanted to call their Jane or the weak, stupid bastard who landed myself there. Instead, the tables turned, and soon they all wanted in my pocket, bending to my rules and my reign within the yard.
Even with that, nothing could keep away the memory of the time Ruby came to visit me here.
I’d been cornered in the laundry room, where I’d been assigned to work at the time, and beaten to a pulp for trying to keep my nose clean. The only thing on my mind was the part of my sentence that said possibility of parole after three years served with good behavior. I was going to make that even if it tried to kill me.
“Knight! You have a visitor,” the guard who turned a blind eye while I was beaten two days ago yells at me from outside my cell.
Closing the book in my hands, I stand and follow him to visitation. I sit at an empty table and wait for my surprise visitor. I’m expecting to see my da walk in, but it’s not him.
It’s the last person I want to see me like this.
“Tink,” I say under my breath as she walks closer and closer to me. As much as I hate her seeing me right now, I can’t help how happy I am to see her. A smile tugs on my lips as I take her in.
She’s wearing her school uniform, showing off too much leg for this place. Dez is behind her. I meet his eye in question before he smirks and lifts a shoulder. Fucker.
“What did they do to you?” she asks when she’s in front of me. She moves to reach up and touch my face, but I give a slight shake of my head to let her know she can’t. She furrows her brow.
“It was a welcome party,” I try to joke. She doesn’t laugh. “Come on, give me a hug.”
Her arms wrap around me, and it’s like heaven. I squeeze her as tight as I can, wishing I could bottle up her warmth. Her scent of flowers and vanilla. Her in general.
“That’s enough, Knight!” the fucker who hates me says from somewhere behind me.
“I don’t like you being here,” I tell her honestly when we sit.
“Too fucking bad,” she sasses back, shocking me to my core. It surprises me so much I burst out in laughter.
“Someone’s balls got bigger,” I muse.
“You ain’t jokin’,” Dez mumbles, sitting next to her, straddling the bench to face her. To protect her.
Swallowing down my jealousy, I ask her about dance. When I try to ask about her family, she shuts me down completely, so I ask her something else that I know will make her just as mad.
“Is Dez taking you for ice cream?” She knows exactly what I’m asking. She looks thinner, if that’s possible, and I hate it. She’s still beautiful, but I can tell she’s not eating again.
Her eyes shift to Desmond next to her before coming to meet mine. “I told him I only eat ice cream with you and threw it at him.”
Shaking my head in amusement again at this girl in front of me, I look to Dez, who gives me a Yep and it sucked look followed by a Got another idea, buddy? look.
“Tink, you have to eat, baby,” I tell her gently. I watch her icy exterior melt and soften.
“I can’t.” She shakes her head. “It’s too hard to do without you.”
“What did I tell you? You are better than all this. You are stronger too. Brave and fierce. You can and will.” I pause, wanting so much to take her hand but know I can’t. I tap her foot under the table with mine to get her to meet my eyes. “You need to be around and healthy when I get out of here. You need to eat to do that.” I smile.
She takes a deep breath, looking down at her fidgeting hands before looking back up at me. “I miss you,” she says as her eyes fill with unshed tears. My heart cracks, wishing I could give her so much more right now. “This guy,” she starts with a thumb pointing at Dez, “is alright.” She smirks. “But he’s not you. I miss your bossy, broody, beautiful face.”